Suspect in triple homicide turns himself in

A man named Friday as a suspect in the shooting deaths of three men, including an "innocent victim," in eastern New Orleans turned himself in to homicide detectives Monday night, police said.

Robert Hart, 23, was booked with three counts of first-degree murder, Shereese Harper, a spokeswoman for the New Orleans Police Department, said.

She said Hart was a suspect in the triple slaying that occurred Wednesday about 11:45 p.m. in the 13900 block of Explorers Avenue.

David Bryan Alford Jr., 21, of Loranger, and Brett Jason Jacobs, 25, of Terrytown, were found wounded in a grassy area in front of an abandoned residence. Police said they thought the motive for those shootings was narcotics.

The third victim, Howard Pickens, 51, of New Orleans, was found wounded a short distance away in the street. Police described Pickens as an "innocent victim."

Police said Pickens, the only resident on the block in the sparsely populated neighborhood, had come out of his house to inspect his new mailbox when the shooting occurred. Police said the killers shot him too because they thought he was spying on them.

The three victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators worked around the clock for a day and a half to identify Hart as a suspect, Superintendent Warren Riley said Friday.

Police said investigators were trying to identify and arrest other people who may have been involved.

On Monday, Hart, accompanied by a lawyer, turned himself into investigators about 7 p.m., Harper said. He was booked about 8:30 p.m.